The NFL Football Thread v2

[jordmundt6]

That was particularly funny given that the Cowboys pulled out a victory in the Meadowlands with sloppy offensive line play all night. That one touchdown pass...to Austin, I think...was on a 1st and 30. Yikes!

I grew up really liking the Niners--but the team I fell in love with that emphasized precision passing, multi-talented running backs, excellent field generals, surprisingly stingy defense, and historically bad kicking (I'm looking at you, Mke Cofer) is gone. A combination of TO and bad drafting absolutely killed it. The current Niners have been remade to look and act somewhere between the late '80s Giants (a team I positively loathed back then) and the early 2000s Ravens (a team whose current incarnation I loathe now). They have stifling, intimidating defense, an excellent workhorse running back, and a guy they hope doesn't shoot them in the feet at quarterback. (Apologies to Phil Simms who was a good quarterback, but I'm thinking more of the Jeff Hostetler Giants who spoiled the three-peat and shortened Montana's career). They aren't as pugnacious or filled with petulant hubris as either the Giants or the Ravens, but there are disturbing trends. As such, as happy as I am that they've become relevant, I can't, in good conscience, actually root for them to get a sixth title as currently constructed.

[LightningScar97]

My week 1 picks.

Lost The Wed game.

Indianapolis at Chicago. 30-17 Bears
Atlanta at Kansas City. 24-23 Matt Bryant GW field goal. Falcons
Buffalo at NY Jets. 20-17 Jets
New England at Tennesse 34-21 Patriots
St. Louis at Detroit. 42-24 Lions
Miami at Houston 31-10 Texans
Jacksonville at Minnesota. Hard one but 17-13 Vikings
Philadelphia at Cleveland 27-10 Eagles
Washington at New Orleans 28-19 Saints(** Saint's player's suspensions dropped)
Seattle at Arizona. Tossup but Seattle 23-17
Carolina at Tampa Bay 41-21 Panthers
San Francisco at Green Bay. 21-16 Packers
Pittsburgh at Denver 20-17 OT Broncos
Cincinnati at Baltimore 16-10 Ravens
San Diego at Oakland 31-28 OT

GO PATRIOTS!

[jordmundt6]

You forgot a word on your last pick. You have a score, a margin and an OT call, but who do you have kicking the winning field goal? Kaeding or Janikowski?

All of those are at least colorable.

I think Luck might impress, and I'm not sure about the Matt Forte Show, so I'd say the score should be a titch closer on the Indy/Chicago game

I think Atlanta should beat KC...but why so close? Is Dwayne Bowe going to be a beast?

I suppose I have to live with a close Jets victory, but where will the touchdowns come from?

I can understand the New England score, but I'm hoping the Pats score more touchdowns than that.

Miami at Houston--Same

Jacksonville at Minnesota--Agree. However, some food for thought. Two teams that rely on the running game with running backs not at full strength. AP still recovering from injury, Drew not in game shape.

I understand the Philly pick and score (even if it makes me sad)

I understand the New Orleans score, but I hope it's closer than that.

I've been talked into giving the nod to Wilson over Skelton.

Agree on the Cam Newton show.

Agree on the Ravens *grumble*

For entirely different reasons, I don't even know how to make a pick on Pittsburgh/Denver (which Peyton Manning will we see? Do BR's receivers know the new offense yet? Will Polamalu be able to play with abandon with Ryan Clark sitting out? and that's just the short list)

Or San Diego Oakland. On paper, San Diego should win--but they almost always play terribly to start the season. I'll go with San Diego and Pittsburgh.

[LightningScar97]

The Denver win was amazing. Peyton is back. The Patriots had a good win over Tennessee. UGH the Jets looked great. Dang it, the Browns couldn't pull off the upset. SF and Atlanta were amazing in their victories.

[Overdose]

And the Ravens arrive with a new look and a defense being carried by the passing attack.

Actually I'm a bit worried about the D. The stats don't tell the full story at all, we were giving up all sorts of yards in the first half and a QB better than Andy Dalton should have put more away.

Still, hopefully they can hang in there until Suggs gets back.

But yeah, barring serious injury (always a possibility), I reckon BMore should nab the AFC North.

I was really impressed by the Giants but I'm still rooting for an AFC Title game between Ravens and Texans and then HARBOWL. Also did anyone who was watching notice that John Harbaugh burned a timeout explicitly to shout at the referees?

[LightningScar97]

If the Patriots play like they did against Tennssee, they will be extremely difficult to beat.

[jordmundt6]

No they won't. The pass defense was a sieve. Gee, where have I seen THAT before. If they do that against Baltimore, they better hope to high heaven that Brady can keep them in a shootout.

The Bengals were close for most of three quarters and it might actually have been interesting if they'd gone for it with the ball on the Ravens' 1 on 4th down only down by seven. Pick six is always a killer, but...eesh.

The Broncos looked good. Manning looked like himself. What's with Matt Stafford? I know that the Rams are a bit more tough-minded, but three picks, almost four? Really? Yikes. At least there's something of an excuse for Vick. He had almost no reps in the preseason.

The Browns looked awful and one of their best defenders is about to start serving a banned substance suspension.

The Green Bay defense looked...well, about the same and San Fran's D looked great. I honestly don't know if Smith is better with the new receivers or not because of all the blown coverages. I guess we'll see.

[LightningScar97]

My week 2 picks

Last Week:10-6
Season Record:10-6

Won GB over CHI

Kansas City at Buffalo. Close one but Bills 20-17 because of homefield advantage.
Cleveland at Cincinnati. Bengals 27-10
Tampa Bay at NYGiants. 24-10 Giants
Arizona at New England. 38-21 Pats
Baltmore at Philadelphia. 27-17 Ravens who feast on Vick's INT's.
Oakland at Miami. 17-6 Raiders
New Orleans at Carolina. 34-31 Panthers who will win with Cam Newton's atleticism
Houston at Jacksoville. 21-3 Texans
Minnesota at Indianapolis. 21-20 Colts Luck at home beats Minnesota who struggled against Blaine Gabbert?:
Washington at St.Louis. RG3 continues his dazzling start as D carries him 17-10.
Dallas at Seattle. 21-16 Cowboys at Russll Wilson gets benched at halftime.
Tennessee at San Diego. 24-14 Chargers
NYJets at Pittsburgh. Jets can't win in Pittsburgh, this year no different. 28-14 Steelers.
Detriot at San Francisco. 28-13 Niners as D rolls.
Denver at Atlanta. Manning won't keep up with Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. 41-31 Falcons.

[jordmundt6]

I actually thought Chicago would pull that one out. They went from cloud nine to serious trouble with Forte out at least 4 weeks with that high ankle sprain.

KC @ Buffalo--I can understand your thinking, but I'll take KC. Buffalo looked just awful and KC's offensive line is better than the Jets' patchwork quilt.

Cleaveland at Cincy--Agree. Cincinati. I like the score you picked too.

Arizona at New England--Agree, but I think you have New England's score a little low (but your margin of victory listed might be a little high). If Kolb can get the ball to Fitzgerald, the Cardinals will score. A lot. New England by two touchdowns if the D bends but doesn't break.

Tampa Bay at New York Giants--Tampa by ten points. The Bucs defense is playing tough, disciplined football, and the Giants' secondary is thin because of injury.

Baltimore at Philly--Agree. More's the pity. Ravens Blowout city.

Oakland at Miami--Agree on victor, but maybe not on the points. Oakland (contingent on them being able to snap the ball to Lechler on punts, PATs and field goals).

New Orleans at Carolina--Yes, it will be a shootout. However, I think New Orleans will win. Maybe both teams crack 40 points.

Houston at Jacksonville--Yes, I have Houston winning. But I think MJD could make it closer than 17 points (maybe 10)

Minnesota at Indy--Eesh. Tough call. The Vikings backfield should eat Indy alive, but the Viking pass defense is terrible. I'll go 21-20 the other way. Minnesota in a squeaker.

Washington at St. Louis--Agree. Washington by one score, but that Rams defense might actually be for real.

Dallas at Seattle--Ugly UGLY game. The Dallas secondary is better, but their offensive line is putrid. Seattle by a field goal at home. Russel Wilson plays the hero, just like last week, and his receivers actually catch for him this time.

Tennessee at San Diego--Agree. Chargers win comfortably (for an unusually hot start).

NY Jets at Pittsburgh--This could be very weird. Revis is out. James Harrison is out. Polamalu might be out. the Pittsburgh O-line is shaky. Pittsburgh in a potential shootout.

Denver at Atlanta--Heart rules head. Atlanta by a late field goal at home in a shootout with the Manning-led no-huddle.

[Overdose]

Picks

Kansas City at Buffalo.
Browns at Bengals
Buccaneers at Giants
Arizona at New England.
RAVENS at Philadelphia.
Oakland at Dolphins.
New Orleans at Carolina.
Houston at Jacksoville.
Vikings at Colts. 21-20
Washington at St.Louis.
Dallas at Seattle.
Tennessee at San Diego.
Jets at Pittsburgh. (wishful thinking)
Detriot at Niners.
Denver at Atlanta.

[LightningScar97]

Jordmunt, I like your thinking on those picks. One question is that where did you hear Forte's injury? Also, who do you have in the Lions Niners game?

[jordmundt6]

Forte's injury was reported on NFL Network on Friday.

Forgot to include this one Niners over Detroit.

[LightningScar97]

GO Patriots. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOoooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!. Ho could they lose.

[jordmundt6]

Lloyd dropped a deep ball. Gronk dropped a touchdown. They didn't run the direct snap 2-point conversion. They didn't run out routes with a full minute left from inside the 30. The defense bent but only gave up one touchdown drive. Brady did his job (even with the pick) but the line misses Waters and with Hernandez out for a few weeks with a high ankle sprain (hey, where have we heard THAT before) the road gets tough.

On the plus side, the Cards offense is just as pathetic as it looked. Argh!

To make matters worse, the Giants got down even farther and pulled off the comeback. Eli even threw a pick six!!

The only plus side, I suppose is that the entire division is now 1-1.

Philly actually pulled it off even with Vick throwing picks and getting shellacked.

Miami actually woke up and Oakland looked pathetic.

Seattle completely handled the Cowboys.

I underestimated how porous both the Saints and the KC defense are. Wow.

Not thrilled that the Chargers are 2-0, but predictable.

After the bitterness of the Cardinal weirdness (rather like the Buffalo weirdness last year), I enjoyed the Jets looking pedestrian without Revis.

[LightningScar97]

Well Jordmunt, do you think NE has a chance against Baltimore next week.

[jordmundt6]

Depends which Baltimore team shows up. Do they have a chance against the well-oiled machine from Week 1....probably not. Do they have a chance against the strikingly ordinary lads who let the Eagles hang around and then steal the game? Yeah. I think Brady can outplay Vick. However, I don't know if he can or would want to stand up to the same sort of beating that Vick took today. That offensive line better be excellent.

[Overdose]

Don't want to be that guy about the Ravens game since they made a hell of a lot of stupid mistake e.g. 4th and 2, Ray Rice playing as well as he's ever done, best fullback in the league and they try to pass it?

Still, there's no way that Jacoby Jones TD was offensive pass interference and also Vick might not have fumbled, but he should have been called for intentional grounding.

Meh, should be a good wakeup call anyway. This is pretty standard Ravens affair which can make them a frustrating team to follow, they're always capable of beating every single team they face but can also play some absolute howlers sometimes.

[jordmundt6]

He pushed off. He got caught. As ticky tack and stupid as Gronk's holding, but obviously against the rules and called. The end. Did the Ravens play better? Mostly. Should they have won? Definitely. Did they win? Nope. Upside for you, the defense gets to take out their frustrations on Tom Brady, his patchy offensive line, and his depleted receiving corps.

[Fawkesfan1]

I'm proud of the Lions . Yes they lost, but they lost to a really good 49ers team that they were able to at least score against. Hopefully they'll (the Lions) will get better as the season progresses.

[jordmundt6]

Well, it's odd. They got absolutely humiliated for most of a half and then the San Fran offense began to sputter and Stafford completed a couple medium/deep passes. I think the final score is closer than the game was, but I think the impression of dominance should be less than it is. I'm still not sold on Alex Smith as a field general.*shrugs* Here's the thing. Both Peyton and Eli absolutely ate it this week. However, Eli got two more possessions than Peyton did, and he burned the Bucs when they were just trying to hold the lead--and then they couldn't get themselves revved up again. Peyton donated three turnovers (and the Falcons were awarded a fourth) and yet all of that resulted in 10 points. Yikes. They were able to finish the game with a last drive, keeping Peyton from forcing overtime, but he served up his team to get buried and the Falcons didn't do it.